On November 4th, 2019, Toastmasters 90210 presented another fantastic speaker in our Open House Series. In addition, we hosted a terrific lineup of both seasoned and newer members. The festivities were led by Dari Mackenzie, ACS, CL – our club President and the Toastmaster for the evening.

Keynote: Special Guest John Kerwin

Special guest John Kerwin regaled us on “How To Connect With People”. John Kerwin's keynote speech – which overflowed with humor, funny anecdotes, vocal variety and hand movements – delved into techniques he has developed while interviewing celebrities.

John Kerwin is a multi-award-winning television host and a celebrity interviewer. His shows have included The John Kerwin Show, The Yesterday Show with John Kerwin and The John Kerwin Kids’ Show. He’s also interviewed celebrities on-location and on the red carpet.⁠ In addition, he has served as President of two Toastmasters Clubs.

General Evaluator, Evaluations and Guest Interview

Ten-year member Alexander Denk, DTM, served as our General Evaluator. Seven-year member Shane Farkas, CC, delivered a terrific 5-minute evaluation of Kerwin’s keynote. Nine-year member Michael Tanenbaum, CC/CL, interviewed Kerwin, who recounted how he took up karate as an adult and rapidly progressed to a black belt. He also explained why his favorite quote is “All you need is love.”

Table Topics: Bree Long

Our Table Topics session was led by the terrifically energetic and inspiring Bree Long. Her colorful and insightful questions were on the theme of “People”. She took the opportunity to call upon an enviable lineup of current and former members, including Donnie Johnson, who enthralled the audience with his trademark rapid-fire oratorical style.

New Member Induction: Li Xin

We also held a new member induction, welcoming eight new members to our club. The ceremony was led by nine-year member Li Xin. We love our growing base!

Toastmasters 90210 New Member Induction Ceremony

Club History: Ann Hastings, DTM, PID

The meeting concluded with our General Evaluator, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Alexander Denk, calling up club founder and fellow DTM Annie Hastings to present an oral history of the founding of our illustrious club.

Guest and Former Members

During the course of this splendid evening, we were privileged to visit with lots of amazing guests as well as a number of former members who used to be a big part of our club. A few even rejoined! Toastmasters 90210 is like a tight-knit family. While life or job circumstances dictate that members move away, they often rejoin as soon as their life or job leads them back into the community.

Come Again!

Toastmasters 90210 is a bounty of riches. With our exciting meeting lineup, this evening was just example of what new members can expect on a weekly basis.

If you are curious as to how our meetings run – or are wondering what all those letters are after the names of our more experienced members – visit us for a meeting! Stay for the networking afterward. Consider joining. If you want more information, please reach out to our VP of Membership or visit our contact page.

Communication and leadership have never been so much fun!

Open House Featuring John Kerwin